The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-11-10
SCOTLAND AND THE SCOTCH.
The Lecture Delivered by A. MooregoE
Last Night.

The Lecture Delivered by A. Mooregor
Last Night.
Mr.. A. McGregor's talk about Scot
land and the Scotch drew fair audi
ence on Friday evening to the Presby-
terian Church, and all seemed to be in
terested in the subject.
Mr.. McGregor first told about the
way he was brought to carry out long
cherished. wish; joining the Leggate
party at Allegheny, and going and re-
turning with his pleasant Scotch
friends. He spoke of the trip and the
passengers; of the entertainments: on
board, giving specimen of the dialect
by reciting and explaining, as he did on
the vessel, Burns's ballad entitled Tam
Glen. He also gave three other recita-
tions during the evening which he had
given on the vessel going and return
ing.
lie described the mountainous char
acter of Scotland; told of the great ex-
cess of mountain barrenness over the
arabic land; of the romantic scenery
and beauty; of the fine palaces, villas
and cottages surrounded with fine parks
and grounds, for the Scotch have an
eye to beauty and largely cultivate
flowers.
The genius and enterprise of the
Scotch were referred to, all being re-
quired to sustain four millions of peo-
pie in such country; spoke of the
mineral developments and manufac-
lures and commerce; Of Glasgow, her
population, her solid wealth and
of being the second commercial city in
Great britain; mentioned the interna-
tional exhibition at Glasgow next year;
the active preparations and of the in
terest taken in the affair by her leading
citizens.
Mr.. McGregOr said the Scotch contin-
ued to pay great attention to education,
though their schools were not like ours,
free, the fee required, however, being
small and varying according to the
standard. The people there too were
still Presbyterians as statistics showed.
federation, however, was the rule, and of
UNCONVENTIONAL schools each got a share
Of the school fund, including the Cath
Olic.
People in Scotland very generally at
tend Church, seem to be brought up
that way, and as a rule, they have fine
Church edifices, and educated, capable
and devoted ministers whom they duly
care for. Sabbath day too, is observed
about as formerly, and as we have read
about.
The Scotch are thrifty people, and
he saw less poverty than he expected
and he believed what there was might
be attributed largely to intemperance
While Dean Ramsey says there has
been great Improvement in his time in
theuse of liquor, Mr.. McGregor thought
there was yet great room for improve
ment in that respect in old Scotland,
claiming that we were away ahead of
them in all this.
He found the British newspapers give
very little news from the United States.
seeming to ignore us in a measure.
There is too, great lack of clear
knowledge as to our country and our
institutions. Mr.. McGregor said he
took occasion at times, when the oppor-
tunity offered, to tell them a few facts,
concluding usually, by saying we had
more English speaking people than all
the rest of the world, including Great
Britain and Ireland.
After speaking of the numerous
tourists and their rushing from point
to point, Mr.. McGregor spoke of tourist
authors who write of spots familiarly
which they never visited, and are led
into error by quoting sensation writers
of former period. In this connection
he read an extract from Mark Twain's
Innocents Abroad as to the horrors of
the Faubourg st. Antoine in Paris, and
then the comments thereon from a
Scotch gentleman's lecture declaring
Mark Twain could never have been
there, for the horrors described were a
myth and utterly untrue.
A glowing tribute was paid to the
Scotch character as to generous hospi
tality. In all this he was most agreea-
bly, disappointed. In consequence OF
this feature he had had a most refresh,
ing and enjoyable time, and really felt
like returning some other day to meet
and greet the noble friends and ac.
quaintances he had there made. Long
may they flourish.